"Hey, what're you two doing here?" I forced a smile, speaking through my teeth as I hugged them. They didn't hug me back, no surprise there.

Noticing their angry looking faces, and the saddened look on Arty Senior and Angeline's faces, I figured out something was wrong. And so did the other three.

"Mother, Father, what's wrong?" Artemis walked up to my side, slipping his arm around my waist. "I'm afraid there's something we must tell yo-"

My mother cut Angeline off. "Tessa get in the car, and don't touch that boy."

I blinked confusedly." eh?"

"I said get in the car!" she pointed at the 'car', (it was a freaking Limo!) giving me THE LOOK.

My face hardened. "No! What's going on!?"

My dad spoke up." We are no longer acquaintances with these heathens, so the marriage is off. Now get your hands off of my daughter." Artemis' grip on me tightened. "This is entirely unreasonable." Angeline said softly. My mother shot her THE LOOK instead. "What is unreasonable is your family. Tessa! Get. In. The. Car!"

"She doesn't have to!" Artemis said, putting his other arm around me.

"You let go of my daughter boy or else-"

"Don't speak to my son that way." Artemis Senior said, glaring at my father.

"What are you going to do? Hit me with your wooden leg? Kahn! Take Tessa away from that boy."

Kahn walked towards us, and I gripped onto Artemis as tightly as possible. After everything she knew we had been through she was going to obey him?!

Kahn took a gentle hold of me and I wrenched myself away, pulling Artemis with me." NO! LET ME GO!" I shouted, my eyes watering up with tears.

"Kahn! Take her!" My father ordered again, halfway to the car.

I spun around, and slipped my arms around Artemis's neck, pressing my lips against his. I don't know what my father did at this point, because Artemis slipped his tongue in between my lips and I pretty much melted.

However the moment was cut short when I was brutally ripped from his arms by my father, flipped over his shoulders and thrown into the 'car'

"No! Let me go! Artemis! God damn it, let me go!!!!!" I shouted, struggling against my father as my mother climbed into the backseat with us, slamming the door shut. Through the tinted glass of the window I could see Artemis asking his mother and father questions, talking to Butler, and when the car started he whirled around and ran at the car in a panicked frenzy. I had never seen him so…uncollected. The driver sped out of the gates and I pushed away from my father, reaching for the door-handle. "Tessandra don't you dare!" I froze. They had used my full name. That second I didn't move gave my mother time enough to slam the back of her hand into my cheek, swivelling my head round and leaving me stunned. My mother had hit me. She actually just back-handed me across the face! "Stop it this instant! That boy is not fit for you, the arrangement is off, now sit down, sit still, and shut up!"

"Don't talk to me!" I shouted as I stormed my way up the stairs, breaking vases and various other objects as the storm that was me tore through the house. "Tessa! Calm the fuck down!" My father roared, and I stopped on the 3rd landing, breathing heavily as I whirled around to stare down at them. I was so angry; I began to shake with rage. "Calm down?" I asked. My voice was deathly low as I continued. "You want me to calm down…after what you just did!?!" I hissed, gripping the railing until my knuckles went white. "I…I don't believe you two!! You're horrible people! You were so god damned insistent that I go there, that I marry Artemis, and as soon as we get along well enough you just decide to cut it off??? I actually felt…I…I love him!!" I roared, throwing my hands up into the air. "And you want to know what? There's nothing you can do about it!!! I'm going back there! And you can't stop me!" I stormed up the stairs, ignoring them as they shouted angrily at me.

"FUCK YOU!!!!"

I slammed the door shut with enough force to knock the picture frames from the wall, slid down the oak slab, and began to cry. I pulled my knees to my chest and hugged them there, sobbing into my jeans. I began to hyperventilate as I sat there, gasping for air through my tears. I knew what I had just said was impossible. They would never let me out of the house after that, and climbing out was suicidal from the top floor. I hiccupped and made my way to the bed, collapsing into the pillows. The feel of the cold fabric against my hot cheek was calming, and I buried my face into them. Maybe, if I lay there long enough, I could suffocate and die. See how they like that little situation. Tears sprung to my eyes as I remembered my room in Fowl Manor, it's comfy duvet and fluffy pillows. I began to sob again, my tears soaking my pillows. However, my emo-fest was cut short as someone dared knock on my door.

"Go away!" I roared, grabbing onto a vase beside my bed and smashing it against the door. They were silent, that is, all save the clicking and scraping I could hear as my doorknob began to wiggle. "I said go away!" I sobbed, hugging my pillow. "Leave me alone god damn it!" I shrieked, fully believing it was my parents who were picking the lock on the door. It swung open and slammed into the wall, and the guilty party jumped nimbly over the shards of broken glass scattered like landmines around my door, closely followed by two more people. It definitely wasn't my parents.

"Alright ya little bitch, what's this about screaming at me to go away?!" The black-haired girl at the end of my bed grinned. "J-Jericho." I gaped. She looked so…different! Her formerly short black hair now reached her mid-back, and her glittering green eyes were shadowed by black eyeliner. Behind her Dailyn giggled, her curly brown hair bouncing against her shoulders and her blue eyes sparkling innocently . And beside Dailyn stood Shannon, her long blonde hair and warm brown eyes standing out against slightly tanned skin. "What the hell?!! I had that locked for a reason!!" I shouted, pointing at my door.

"Yeah, okay, sorry, but get your bum up so we can slap you." She said, waving her hand dismissively. "Oh yeah, because that sounds so inviting!" I said, glaring. "What are you doing here?" I asked rudely, not in the mood for anyone, not even my best friends. "Tch! Don't be rude!" Shannon laughed, jumping onto my bed and hugging me. "We're your best friends! And we've come with ice-cream and chick-flicks to cheer you up from your heart-break. How dare he dump you like that!" I twitched. "Don't talk about him like that! What have my parents been saying?!?! Artemis would never do that, it's their entire fault!" Dailyn slid onto the bed. "What are you talking about? Your parents said that Artemis broke off the engagement?" I laughed, tossing my head angrily. "Ha! That's a laugh! They showed up and dragged me off! I hardly had the chance to say good-bye…" I bit my lip, and let myself smile softly as I remembered the kiss. "Ooh, she's smiling!" Dailyn laughed. "Spill!" Jericho said, sitting down on the bed with them. "W-what?!" I gasped. "What do you-" I was interrupted by Shannon. "Did you kiss him? What's he look like? Is he nice? Is he smart?" A flurry of questions escaped her mouth. My face went crimson. "I-I-I" This time Jericho was the one to interrupt me. "Aww! She's blushing! How cute!" They laughed. "Cut it out!" I moaned, covering my face with my hands. "Just tell us!" They laughed together, leaning in close. "Tell…us!"
"Alright, alright! Yes, I kissed him, he's the nicest guy I've ever met, and he's a genius. Happy?" Dailyn shook her head. "No! What's he look like." I shut my eyes and looked at my mental picture of him. "He's tall…with black hair that falls into his blue eyes when he's leant over his lap-top and working on a formula…crystal blue eyes that can laugh at you or freeze you on the spot…and he has pale skin, and it looks really good with his suits, and-" I stopped, realizing that they were staring at me oddly. "What?" I asked, my face becoming pink again.

"This is bad…" Jericho said, looking at Shannon. "Really bad…" She agreed with a nod. "This is much worse than we thought…" Dailyn added, and they sighed. "We're going to need more than what we brought." She said, nudging the cooler-bag she had that bulged with the weight of two tubs of ice-cream. "What are you guys talking about?" I asked, looking from one girl to the other. "Tessa…you really liked him, didn't you?" they asked, and I looked down miserably. "I...yeah…I loved how he treated me like I was his equal, even though he's taller, smarter, and stronger than me…how he used to explain things in a way I could understand it…and how he was always there for me…that when I was in trouble he'd always find a way to help me…" I smiled softly. "And the things he was willing to do for me…" I felt them wrap their arms around me and I closed my eyes, forcing back tears. I had cried enough for one day. For an entire life-time. "I know what you need." Shannon said suddenly, pulling me up off of the bed. "Come with us! The carnival is in town!" Jericho gasped. "Oh yeah! I can't believe we forgot about that!" I blinked. "What? No, I can't go to a carnival…" Dailyn cut me off. "Yes you can. The best way to mend a broken heart is to have some fun! So that's what you're going to do!" They took hold of my hand and pushed me out the door, avoiding the glass and dragging me down the hall. "Wit! No, I won't do it! Let me g-" I cried out in surprise as they lifted me from the floor and carried me bodily out of the house.

"Tell Mr. and Mrs. Rose that we've kidnapped their daughter and we're taking her to the carnival. We'll be back soon!" They said cheerily to a maid, and threw me into the back of Jericho's black jeep, belted me in, and drove off.

What WONDERFUL friends I have!!